Hector Fratty

Chinese auto supplier Rebo’s parent company Boao are suddenly entering the North American market by purchase of Federal-Mogul’s lighting division.

Chongqing Rebo Lighting & Electronics were founded in 2011 and are based in Chongqing, China. Though virtually unknown in the United States and Europe, Rebo had sales of $121m in 2017, mainly in China. Parent company Boao Industrial have purchased Federal-Mogul’s lighting unit with the goal of using North America to make Rebo a global supplier of interior lighting. For an undisclosed purchase price, Boao—also in Chongqing—acquired the Federal-Mogul lighting plant in Sparta, Tennessee, and the technical centre in Ann Arbor, Michigan. This acquisition follows last month’s, in which Boao bought FER, the Germany-based interior lighting unit of American supplier Truck-Lite. Rebo now have five locations worldwide, and the company plan to add nearly $20m to their global sales by the end of this year.